Morocco Tops Argentina in Chaotic Men’s Soccer Opener
VAR Disallows Goal Hours After Match Appeared to End
Anyone who thought the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games would go off without a hitch was wrong.The 2024 Olympic soccer scandal involving the Canadian women’s soccer team allegedly spying on New Zealand with drones is just the beginning.
Before the Opening Ceremonies, the No. 1 player in men’s tennis, Jannik Sinner, is out due to tonsillitis. A top British equestrian is gone after a video scandal showing her abusing a horse. The Canadian women’s soccer team allegedly spied on New Zealand with drones. That doesn’t top what happened in soccer news from Paris as Morocco defeated Argentina on the men’s side in a match that wasn’t official until hours after it appeared to end.
Two-time defending gold medalist Argentina appeared to score a desperation goal by Medina in extra time – somehow adding 15 minutes – to tie Morocco at 2.. However, 85 minutes later, with the stadium empty, the teams had to come back and play three extra minutes because VAR disallowed the goal. Got that?
At the age of 53 i have never seen this in football … 15mins added time with no reason at all and #Argentina score after 15:30 mins … Wtf #FIFA ?? Meanwhile fans have entered the pitch and the game has stopped… 🤪 #ARGMAR #OlympicGamesParis2024 #Paris2024 #Morocco https://t.co/GZNiXAATsS
— Nick (@NickKav1) July 24, 2024
EQUALIZER IN THE 106TH MINUTE! 😱
A wild ending to the start of the Olympic football tournaments as Argentina rescue 2-2 draw vs. Morocco with the final touch of the ball. 🥵pic.twitter.com/ymQUlGgTn4
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) July 24, 2024
How They Got Here
By BBC.com:
Here’s how the chaos and confusion unfolded…
- Immediately after Medina seemed to have made it 2-2, fans threw cups and bottles at the celebrating Argentina side before a flare appeared to land near the players and coaching staff.
- A number of fans in Morocco colours also ran onto the pitch, and stewards escorted them off the field. Riot police moved to the side of the pitch, and the referee immediately took the players off the pitch.
- The stadium announcer in Saint Etienne instructed fans to leave the ground, and a message on a big screen said: “Your session has been suspended please make your way to the nearest exit.”Uncertainty surrounded whether the match had ended, but officials then revealed the teams would play the final three minutes in an empty stadium with no fans present.
- Before the match could finish, officials announced that a video assistant referee decision had ruled out Argentina’s potential equaliser, showing a player was offside before Medina scored.
One fan called it the biggest scandal in Olympic soccer history, referring to it as the 2024 Olympic soccer scandal.
ROBBERY💸💸💸
Argentina equalize in the 116th minute. The biggest scandal in Olympics Football history.
Morocco fans have stormed the pitch, fire crackers were flying and absolute chaos erupted.
What a shame for the Olympics🤮pic.twitter.com/hJDTFZA9v7 https://t.co/wUSUcZxU0v— Freddy🇩🇪 (@freddyCR7LA) July 24, 2024
Argentina getting 15 minutes of stoppage time out of nowhere and tying it in the 106th minute is insane. Morocco totally hosed. Not even the Olympics are safe from soccer corruption.
— Steve Millar (@Millar_S) July 24, 2024
Fans created an ugly scene. They threw objects, and security tackled invading Morocco fans on the field at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne after Medina appeared to tie the game 2-2.
Morocco players celebrated with joy.
Morocco has WON in the most dramatic and absurd circumstances over Argentina. Sporting justice prevailed. They were the better team.
4 hours and 11 minutes later.
The sentiments are the same regardless of the result: Morocco had a bright performance full of promise in this… pic.twitter.com/tKAmlAKb4U
— Nico Cantor (@Nicocantor1) July 24, 2024
The 2024 Olympic soccer scandal has added a significant layer of intrigue to the games even before the official start.
